knot
loop in rope for fastening
A way of tying rope, string, or laces so they stay together and do not come loose.
a knot in [rope/string/shoelaces]
- He tied a knot in the rope so the bucket wouldnt slip.
- Make sure the knot in your shoelaces is tight before you start running.
- The sailor showed us how to make a simple knot.
- She struggled to undo the knot in the string around the package.
- Use a double knot if you dont want it to come undone.
- He makes a knot in the rope.
- This knot in my shoe is too tight.
- Can you show me how to tie a knot?
- I cannot open the bag because the knot is strong.
tangled part of hair or thread
A small, tight tangle in hair, thread, or string that is hard to make smooth again.
a knot in [hair/thread]
- The childs hair was full of knots after playing outside.
- It took her twenty minutes to brush all the knots out of her long hair.
- Sewing thread often forms tiny knots if you pull it too fast.
- Be gentle when you comb that knot, or it will hurt.
- He cut the knot out of the fishing line and started again.
- My hair has many knots after I sleep.
- She brushes her hair to remove the knots.
- There is a big knot in this thread.
- He cuts the knot in the string because he cannot fix it.
to tie something in a knot
To tie rope, string, or something similar so that it makes a knot and cannot easily come apart.
to knot [rope/string/hair/tie]
- He carefully knotted the rope around the post.
- She knotted her scarf loosely around her neck.
- The climber knotted the two ropes together before starting up the wall.
- He knotted his tie in front of the mirror.
- She quickly knotted her hair at the back of her head.
- He knots the rope to the tree.
- She knots her tie before work.
- They knot the two strings together.
- I cannot unknot it because you knotted it too hard.
tight painful spot in a muscle
A hard, tight place in a muscle that hurts when you touch it, often from stress or too much exercise.
a knot in [someones] [muscle/back/neck/shoulder]
- I have a knot in my shoulder from working at the computer all day.
- The massage therapist found several knots in his back.
- Stretching every morning helps prevent knots in your neck.
- She pressed on the knot in his calf until the pain eased.
- After the long flight, his upper back was full of knots.
- There is a knot in my neck and it hurts.
- The doctor feels a knot in my back.
- She gives me a massage to fix the knots in my shoulders.
- I stretch to stop knots in my muscles.
tight feeling from nervous emotion
A hard, tight feeling in your stomach or throat when you are very nervous, afraid, or upset.
a knot in [someones] [stomach/throat/chest]
- She felt a knot in her stomach as she waited for the exam results.
- His throat tightened into a knot when he tried to speak.
- There was a hard knot of fear in his chest as the plane took off.
- He walked into the meeting with a knot of anxiety.
- The bad news left a knot in her stomach for days.
- I feel a knot in my stomach before the test.
- When he speaks to the boss, he has a knot in his throat.
- The scary movie gives her a knot of fear inside.
- Bad news can put a knot in your stomach.
complex or difficult problem
A problem or situation that is very mixed and difficult to understand or fix.
a knot of [problems/issues/contradictions]
- The new law created a knot of unexpected legal problems.
- Negotiators are trying to untie the knot of trade and security issues.
- His explanation only added another knot of confusion.
- The novel explores a knot of family secrets and lies.
- Years of poor planning left the city with a knot of traffic problems.
- The company has a knot of problems with money and staff.
- They must untie the knot of old rules and new ideas.
- The plan creates a knot of questions for the team.
- There is a knot of political and social issues in this case.
speed unit for ships and planes
A way to measure speed on water or in the air; one knot is one nautical mile in one hour.
[ship/plane/wind] at [number] knots
- The ship was moving at twelve knots when it entered the harbor.
- Winds of up to fifty knots are expected along the coast tonight.
- The aircraft cruises at about 480 knots.
- Sailing at just three knots, they made slow progress against the current.
- The storm brought gusts exceeding 60 knots.
- The boat goes at ten knots.
- The wind is very strong, about forty knots.
- This plane can fly at 500 knots.
- At five knots, the ship moves slowly.
hard circular spot in wood
A round, hard mark in wood that shows where a branch grew before.
a knot in [the wood/the board/the tree]
- Theres a large knot in the middle of this board.
- The table is made from pine with lots of dark knots.
- He hammered the nail just beside the knot in the wood.
- Knots in timber can make it harder to cut cleanly.
- The knot in the tree trunk marked where a branch had been cut off years before.
- The wood has many small knots.
- He sees a big knot in the plank.
- We do not want knots in this piece of wood.
- The knot in the tree looks like an eye.
to become tangled and knotted
To slowly become twisted and tight so that knots appear, usually by accident.
[hair/rope/line] knots
- My hair knots if I sleep with it wet.
- The fishing line kept knotting whenever he cast it.
- The thin gold chain had knotted around the pendant.
- If you dont wind it properly, the rope will knot and twist.
- Her headphones had knotted in her bag again.
- My hair knots when it is windy.
- The rope knots if you do not hold it straight.
- The chain knotted in my pocket.
- This thread knots every time I sew.
small tight group of people
A small group of people standing very near to each other.
a knot of [people/spectators/reporters]
- A knot of tourists gathered around the guide.
- There was a small knot of protesters outside the building.
- Journalists stood in knots near the courtroom entrance.
- We passed a knot of teenagers talking on the corner.
- A knot of spectators watched the street performer.
- A knot of people waits at the bus stop.
- There is a small knot of students in front of the door.
- A knot of reporters stands outside the office.
- We saw a knot of fans near the stage.
- Base: knot
- Plural: knots
- Base: knot
- 3rd Person Singular: knots
- Present Participle: knotting
- Past: knotted
- Irregular present participle: knotting Verb
- Irregular past: knotted Verb
a knot of people
1small tight group of people
A small group of people standing very near to each other.
- A knot of people formed around the street musician.
- There was a knot of reporters outside the courthouse.
- We joined a small knot of people waiting at the gate.
all in knots
1feeling very tense or nervous
Feeling very tense or nervous so that your muscles or stomach feel tight.
- My stomach was all in knots before the interview.
- By the end of the argument, his shoulders were all in knots.
- She was all in knots waiting for the phone to ring.
at [number] knots
1moving at a stated speed in knots
Moving at a certain speed measured in knots, for example ten knots or fifty knots.
- The ship is traveling at twelve knots.
- Winds at thirty knots are expected overnight.
- The boat was moving at only two knots against the current.
be tied in knots
1to be very confused or tense
To feel very confused, worried, or tense, often because something is difficult or stressful.
- The complex rules left everyone tied in knots.
- By the end of the interview she was completely tied in knots.
- His explanation just left me tied in knots.
cut the Gordian knot
1solve a problem with bold action
To end a very difficult or complex problem by taking a strong and simple action instead of a slow, careful solution.
- The new manager cut the Gordian knot by canceling the project completely.
- Rather than argue for hours, she cut the Gordian knot and made the final decision herself.
- The government hopes this reform will cut the Gordian knot of bureaucracy.
get knotted
1rudely tell someone to go away
A rude, mainly British way to tell someone to go away or stop annoying you.
- "Get knotted!" he shouted when they told him what to do.
- She just told him to get knotted and walked off.
- If someone spoke to me like that, Id say, "Get knotted."
have a knot in one's stomach
1feel very nervous or afraid
To feel very nervous, afraid, or worried, so that your stomach feels very tight.
- I had a knot in my stomach before the job interview.
- She always gets a knot in her stomach before flying.
- The thought of speaking on stage gave him a knot in his stomach.
knot together
1to tie pieces together with knots
To join two or more pieces of rope, string, or similar things by tying knots in them.
- They knotted two ropes together to make it longer.
- He knotted the ends together to form a loop.
- You can knot the branches together to make a simple shelter.
knot up
1to become or make tangled and tight
To become twisted and tight so that knots form, or to make something like this.
- Her stomach knotted up with fear.
- If you wash this sweater too hot, it will knot up.
- The string has knotted up again in the drawer.
tie someone in knots
1to confuse or upset someone badly
To make someone feel very confused, stressed, or uncomfortable, often by asking hard questions or behaving in a difficult way.
- The lawyer tied the witness in knots with detailed questions.
- The exam questions tied me in knots.
- She knows how to tie her opponents in knots during a debate.
tie yourself in knots
1to overthink and confuse yourself
To think too much or try too hard to explain something so that you become confused or stressed.
- He tied himself in knots trying to explain the mistake.
- Dont tie yourself in knots over every small detail.
- She tied herself in knots worrying about what people might think.
tie the knot
1Get married
To get married.
- They decided to tie the knot after five years together.
- They finally tied the knot after living together for five years.
- We're tying the knot next summer.
- Were planning to tie the knot next summer.
- My parents tied the knot when they were in their early twenties.